Happy Christmas
by AlexisRose84
Summary: Just a fluffy one shot about Christmas with the Bates and their three children. Modern day AU.


_Merry Christmas everyone! This is just a little one shot for Anna and John from my The Day Our Lives Turned Upside Down series. You do not have to read any of those to read this one. It can be read as a stand alone story. _

_I have missed writing this week! I am still out of town and don't have my computer. So this has been written on my phone. This is just a little fluffy one shot. Nothing to it. _

_Enjoy! _

**Happy Christmas **

As merry music filled their living room, John was not feeling so joyful. The dollhouse in front of him still had about a hundred small pieces to put together. A sigh left his lips and he nearly swore when the screw slipped out of the tiny hole it was supposed to go into.

However, when he turned his head, he smiled. Anna was in the middle of wrapping presents from Santa. Her lower lip was jutted out and her head bounced with the sounds of the music. As their eyes met, Anna smiled back to him.

"The kids are going to be so excited when they wake up," Anna said to him. John had to agree. Under the tree sat a mound of presents for their three children, Kit, Hope, and Liv.

Kit and Hope were five and Liv was three. They were at those perfect ages where the magic was still very much alive for them. And Anna had gone to every step imaginable to make it even extra special for their three children.

Another screw slipped out of its hole and John cursed under his breath. Even though he would do anything for his children, he was about ready to throw this particular dollhouse into the trash.

"They don't make any of these pre-made?" John questioned, clearly agitated. Anna giggled.

"Nope," Anna replied. "But Hope is going to have the brightest smile when she sees Santa brought her the dollhouse she has been asking for since October."

"If I can ever get this monstrosity put together, that is. She may be in tears because it's in a million pieces."

"Here, let me help you. I just finished the wrapping."

With Anna's help and patience he barely had, the two finally finished the dollhouse for Hope. Looking over the house, John knew it was worth it to see the look on Hope's face the next morning. She was going to be thrilled.

"Alright, one down. Two to go," Anna said. John glanced up and his eyes widened.

"Two to go?!"

Anna nodded and got up off the floor. Soon she was pulling out two big boxes from the closet. One was a play kitchen and the other was a play baby center. John groaned loudly.

"These are Kit and Liv's big presents," Anna explained. "Neither really asked for anything big, but Hope did. So I wanted there to be three big things at the tree in the morning. I think they'll both play with these. Kit is always about pretend food."

"He is," John agreed, but sighed again. Anna was beaming, though. She was thrilled about the gifts she had picked out for the children. Her spirit gave John the push to make it through putting the other two big gifts together.

Nearly three hours later, the gifts were put together next to the tree. By John's estimation, the children had more than enough toys under the tree to last hours opening the next morning. He and Anna had probably gone slightly overboard.

"It's time for bed, Mr. Bates. I have a feeling they will be up early to open presents," Anna said. She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and cuddled into his chest. John's head rested upon hers and he nodded. Kissing the top of her head, he then pulled back slightly and led her to their bedroom.

The two slid into the bed and then quickly fell into one another's arms. Anna contently sighed as her back rested against John's chest. She turned her head slightly to press a kiss against his cheek and then rested her head against the pillows.

"It's midnight," Anna murmured, her eyes quickly falling. "Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas to you too, my darling," he whispered into her hair.

-X-X-X-X-X

"Mummy! Daddy! Mummy! Daddy!" Echoes of voices bounced around the room, waking both Anna and John. Soon little feet were crawling into their bed and little hands were tugging on their shoulders.

"Did Santa come?!" Liv's voice hopefully asked.

Anna flipped onto her back and ran her fingers through her daughter's dark hair.

"I don't know. We'll have to see," she said happily. The little girl's face lit up and she turned to her siblings who were both prodding their father to hurry up.

"Come on Hope and Kit! Let's go!"

"Hold on," John said, playfully lifting Liv up. "Mummy and Daddy have to come with you. Sit on the bed and let us get up first."

Very impatiently, the three children waited the few minutes it took their parents to be ready to go to the living room to check the tree.

As they all walked to the room, squeals left all three of their mouths when they saw the gifts under the tree.

"Oh wow!"

"Mummy! He came! Daddy! Do you see?!"

"The dollhouse I wanted!"

And just like that, the night spent putting together the big toys was worth it. All three little ones had the brightest, most innocent smiles.

John pulled Anna close and she tucked her head right into him. This. This is what they had always wanted and here it was right in front of them. It wasn't about the gifts, of course. It was the home and family they had prayed for and now they had it and had it for over 5 years now.

"This is the best gift I could have ever received," John quietly said.

"I quite agree," Anna said, before lifting herself up and catching John's lips with her own. "Thank you."

"Why are you thinking me? You are the one that gave me these three wonderful blessings as well as agreed to marry me."

"You did play a part in making these blessings," Anna reminded him with a wink. John chuckled and wrapped his arm tighter around her.

"Yes, but I just did the fun part. You had the hard part," he playfully murmured. Anna nudged him gently, but nodded.

"That's fair."

"Can we open presents now?" Kit questioned, his brows furrowing slightly and his lips curling to one side.

"Yes," Anna answered his son. "Let's dig in!"

"Yay!"

As they all sat around the Christmas tree opening gifts, John and Anna's eyes met many times. Each time their eyes were bright and their smiles were wide. They were truly blessed.

**The end. **


End file.
